10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
16,700 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #5

Oct 162008

Santa Fe

  • 26,500 miles
My wife was driving on a little St. In fostoria, Ohio on Oct 16 at approx. 4 pm. Her speed was around 35 mph and the road conditions were good. She had a large vehicle on her driver side as this is a two lane highway. A Blazer/Bronco crossed from the oncoming lane attempting to turn on a side street (South union street, cutting right in front of our 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. The impact stopped her vehicle immediately and drove her car into a truck waiting to turn onto little street from the same side street. Although the accident caused a front end impact to our Hyundai, the airbag in our Hyundai did not deploy. My wife sustained injuries to her left collarbone and shoulder, and also to her right knee, requiring a trip to the emergency room and xrays. She was also unable to work for a short time due to her injuries.

- Findlay , OH, USA

problem #4

Nov 272007

Santa Fe

  • miles
Failure of driver's side frontal airbag to deploy on a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. My wife was driving her Santa Fe on a two-lane country road in western Pennsylvania. Weather and road conditions were normal, with no ice, snow, or other slipping hazards on the road. As she rounded a curve a car was stopped directly in front of her and because her vision was obstructed by landscale along the road she could not see the other vehicle (a 1988 Jeep truck) before she struck it. Damage to the Jeep was minimal (broken rear window and bent bumper), but damage to the front of her Santa Fe was extensive, estimated about $9,500. I called our local Hyundai dealership in montgomery, Alabama to urge them to contact the manufacturer about a potential airbag malfunction. I was told by the service department the failure of the airbag to deploy was not unusual because the airbag deployment sensors are located well back from the front of the car. Given the severe damage to the car (the front is extensively crushed) and the Pennsylvania state troopers observation that he was surprised the airbag did not deploy, Hyundai should address this potential problem.

- Montgomery, AL, USA

problem #3

Dec 092006

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I have a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe.12/9/06 my wife and daughter were involved in a accident were neither front air bags went off. The point of impact was the drivers front left. Paramedics as well as myself were concerned that the air bags did not deploy.

- South Elgin, IL, USA

problem #2

Apr 262005

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 51,000 miles
Without warning the passenger side air bag deployed. Consumer did not hit anything or run into a hole. Consumer had no indication that anything was wrong. Insurance adjuster said no sign of physical impact, appears to be mechanical or electrical malfunction. Right side air bag appears to have deployed prematurely. Dealer looked at it and told the consumer they could not touch it because of the manufacturer. Manufacturer said it was turned over to the legal department. Consumer has not heard back from manufacturer.

- Little Egg Harbour, NJ, USA

problem #1

Feb 022005

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,000 miles
While traveling through an intersection at which I had the green light, another vehicle, traveling perpendicularly, ran the red light and my Hyundai Santa Fe smashed right into the passenger side of that vehicle. My speed was approximately 25 mph, yet the air bag did not deploy. The entire front of my vehicle is smashed and the car may possibly be totaled (we are waiting for insurance claims adjusters to examine). Our concern is that the airbags did not deploy on impact, as they should have.

- Baltimore, MD, USA